Hitachi Energy has been selected to design, supply, and supervise the installation of high-voltage circuit breakers and disconnectors (up to 500 kV) for the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ); the first REZ in New South Wales (NSW).
The project is considered a key step towards achieving the State’s legislated renewable energy targets and Australia’s energy transition towards Net Zero 2050.
The NSW Government is in the development phase for the REZ to export solar and wind electricity to the rest of the network. Hitachi Energy will work with the network operator, ACEREZ, a partnership of ACCIONA, COBRA and Endeavour Energy, to deliver, develop and maintain the network. The REZ is expected to deliver 4.5 GW of new network capacity by 2028.
The contract follows an extensive process of design and scope clarifications, during which Hitachi Energy stood out as a global technology leader in high-voltage innovation and service, emerging as the preferred and sole supplier for the project.
Hitachi Energy’s circuit breakers and disconnectors are critical components of the transmission infrastructure for the REZ project. They will enable easier and more efficient integration of renewables and smoother power transfer to help accelerate Australia’s energy transition towards a sustainable energy future for all.
The flexible, high-performance breaker technology offers significantly reduced installation time due to control wire bundling. It comes tested for high transient recovery voltage (TRV) performance, high mechanical endurance, and switching capabilities.
With its extensive local service footprint, including a service center and experienced field service crew in NSW, Hitachi Energy will work with ACEREZ to install, service, and optimize the specialized equipment for reliability, life extension, and cost reductions through improved performance over its long lifespan.
The Central-West Orana REZ is part of the NSW Government’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, which will transform the electricity system towards the State’s legislated 12 GW target of renewable energy generation and 2 GW of long-duration storage by 2030.
Together with the NSW Government and ACEREZ, we are enabling NSW to meet its ambitious renewable energy targets by harnessing abundant solar and wind resources and moving towards a carbon-neutral energy future,” said Bernard Norton, Country Managing Director, Hitachi Energy in Australia.
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